Struggle for Climate Goes on in Marrakech

Опубликовано 19.11.2016

Observers and participants of the Climate Conference of the UN FCCC (СОР22) in Marrakech (Morocco) articulate their expectations. Representatives of public environmental organizations push for the global community to abandon hazardous and risky projects and provide support to the development of well-tried low-carbon technologies.
In Marrakech, the work is focused on the elaboration of rules for further climate activities. Let us remind you that the new Climate Agreement was adopted a year ago in Paris.

Presently, the number of countries which had signed and adopted the agreement and percentage of their emissions is quite enough for ratification. The Agreement came in force on November 4, 2016, on the eve of the Conference in Morocco. It took the world community less than a year to launch a fateful for the civilization process destined to help the world to overcome the danger of climate change.

The Paris Agreement is an essential document, experts believe. It reflects the global trend for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and formation of low-carbon strategies. This is exactly why this Agreement is unprecedented by the number of signees and quickness of its adoption.

The most important thing which experts anticipate from COP22 is the fastest creation of a quality work plan focused at real actions and strengthening emission targets. Besides this, countries will start working on the development of regulations and transparency enhancement. No doubt, the issue of financing will come up: more clearness in this direction is awaited from Marrakech. Prior to COP22, observers articulate their expectations.

The Climate Alliance 350.org came up with a petition appealing to decision-makers to put freeze on the new projects of fossil fuel extraction. “To be able to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement and save the planet from the climatic catastrophe, bring immediately to stop new coal, oil and gas development projects and sponsor fair transfer to the future 100% renewable energy for everyone,” representatives of international organizations wrote.

“The Paris Agreement requires radical transformations and no hazardous technologies execution,” German activists articulated their position. The “German Friends of Earth” (BUND) and the Heineich Boll Foundation demanded to abandon coal, cardinally reduce emissions in the agriculture and transport, and protect soils and forests. In their joint publication “The New Course: How to Build a Fair Future” the NGOs stress the dangers created by the BECCS (biofuel engineering with CO2 capture and storage) technologies.
Representatives of Russian public organizations associate themselves with international organizations; on November 3, they had adopted their Position for COP22 at the Conference of the Russian Social and Ecological Union in St. Petersburg. The Position recognizes coming in force of the Paris Agreement as an important step and appeals for Russia for ratification of the Agreement and adoption of national resolutions for its implementation on the emissions, forests, adaptation and financing.

In the opinion of public environmental organizations’ representatives, it is necessary to develop a concept and in 2018 to adopt a Federal Law “On Carbon Control” and start practical actions. Environmental activists pointed out impermissibility of reduction of the prospected for the years 2017-2018 financing of practical measures on energy efficiency enhancement and renewable energy sources. The Position stresses the necessity of refocusing subsidies from fossil fuel to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.

As far as international negotiations are concerned, in the opinion of Russian NGOs, the process of Paris Agreement realization and its rules to be developed at COP22 should provide for: efficient consideration of national goals every five years with the purpose of their permanent strengthening; availability of “transparent” and efficient mechanisms for implementation of international projects for reduction of emissions and increasing of CO2 pickup. The Position stresses the unacceptability of incompetent solutions such as “climatic measures,” e.g., development of NPSs, low-land HPSs, coal projects, capture and burial of CO2 - CCS.

Public observers of the process call for stimulation of only real actions on the protection of ecosystems, provision of transparency and impossibility of discretionary interpretation along with efficient transfer of low-carbon and adaptation technologies.